


chemistry

by rippedjuns



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: #cheolsoo forever fighting!, Alternate Universe - High School, Bullying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M, Nerds in Love, They’re so cute help my soul, being cute, idek, is that right, soft bois
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-22 12:17:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14308464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rippedjuns/pseuds/rippedjuns
Summary: joshua has always been the local nerd for people to pick on in high school, it’s something he had become accustomed to.but when he meets another boy going through the same pains as him, he can’t help but feel so many emotions blossom inside of him.but is it too early for it to be love?





	chemistry

**Author's Note:**

> this is the baby of a load of tumblr prompts i found on the Internet, and of course i had to use it with cheolsoo because soft boys deserve soft plots am i right or am i right?
> 
> also this is unedited so sorry if there are any mistakes >~<
> 
> recommended song: cheer up by twice

his mother always told him, _‘don’t let the bullies drag you down, joshua, because you will always shine above them.’_

her words had some sort of sincerity hidden within, because a hug would always follow and a couple of tears would leak from their eyes unintentionally when contact was made. she did mean it, she knew that her son would be extraordinary, and that he just had to wait until he left high school in order to sparkle like the star she knew he was. but, there was a little white lie hidden within the jumble of words, because he knew that he wouldn’t be able to push the bullies away to ‘shine above’. they would always come back with double the strength and double the chaos, and he was always left scrambling around on the floor, praying that his glasses were somewhat near his being. he pushed the school to try and sort out the problem, but the staff were all too busy with their own problems that it seemed to easily slip out their minds. so, joshua ended up sitting through the attacks, hoping that they would stop.

they teased him for every little thing that was different about him: the fact that he was from america, the fact that he had both glasses and braces at the same time, the fact that he was at the top of his class and the teacher’s pet. he couldn’t help any of these things, and he just so happened to be the kid that teens enjoyed picking on. joshua couldn’t even say the _‘go and pick on someone your own size!’_ line, because he was the same height and age of his bully. the world always had to be against him, didn’t it?

joshua felt inferior as he weaved his way through the corridors, the walls closing in on his frail body as the space between himself and the other students became smaller by the second. the teal lacquer painted onto the lockers was too bright for a school morning, the hue a complete contrast to his current mood. the flickering lights above reminded him of how close he was to breaking down, his walls slowly being broken down by those who thought it was entertainment to pick on him. joshua hoped that he could just sneak through the crowds without being noticed, so he could get to class and try to pay attention whilst chewed gum would be shot at his head.

alas, the world didn’t want him to sneak out of the situation like a ninja, and the school seemed to want to watch the show. the students surrounding him cleared the pathway for him, moving closer to the lockers in order to avoid the mess that was soon go to down in the high school. all joshua could do now was take a deep breath, and wait until something occurs.

a kick in the shins initiated the show.

two very familiar boys strolled up to joshua, glaring daggers into the boy’s body which led him to press his back into the nearest set of lockers. their stares glued him to the cold metal, the same sinking feeling of fear leaving him frozen in his spot. god did he hate the two boys in front of him. joshua was their doll in the school’s dollhouse, who they always threw about and used for their pleasure and enjoyment, forgetting that joshua is actually a human being with feelings as well. junhui was slightly taller than the other boy, but had a smaller effect on joshua. he more or less followed what the other boy said, adding his own sprinkle of toxic fairy dust to the mix in order to put insult to injury. the main villain in joshua’s story was none other than yoon jeonghan, the supermodel of the school that no one could stand up to - not even the teachers. he was always right - even if he was terribly wrong - and you should never get on his bad side. joshua had done nothing wrong to get onto jeonghan’s bad side, but the bubble-blowing bully decided that the nerdy boy was perfect for fulfilling his entertainment quota of the day.

joshua wished that he could have a superhero to come and sweep him away, kiss him on the lips, and tell him everything would be okay. but that was only a mere dream. who would want to have a lanky, clumsy, nerdy kid as their boyfriend?

“ahhh joshie, your skin is getting terrible again.” jeonghan pouted, the sympathy so obviously fake that it seeped through his non-existent pores. “look, you’re getting acne again. what did i tell you about skin care?”

joshua doesn’t dare respond, he just stands there in silence, praying the tears away and wishing for a miracle that will never come.

“i think we need to do something to sort out those mountains on joshua’s face, don't you think so, jeonghan?” the older boy nodded in return to his friend, smirks twitching at both of their lips. the crowds were in their masses now, all with mobile phones out, ready to record the event going down in their school hallways.

nodding, jeonghan opened up his bag, junhui following in suit. “i think we have the perfect solution to getting rid of all those spots growing on your face: a simple face mask.”

“maybe if you give me one, i could try it at home?” joshua stuttered on his words, knowing that his attempts to escape wouldn’t work. he braces himself for what is about to occur, wondering to himself why he came into school today.

“no no no, joshie! we insist~” a creepy smile grew on jeonghan’s face as he slipped a set of plastic gloves over his slender fingers, motioning junhui to bring the specific item from the younger’s backpack to him. it was a large, plastic carton, and immediately, joshua knew that he wasn’t going to have clean, spotless skin after jeonghan and junhui’s treatment. the liquid was poured into jeonghan’s hands, the crowd grimacing as it splashed and slowly clumped into his palms. junhui rapidly flicking joshua’s glasses off, the boy hoping that they didn’t crack again - he wasn’t on the good side of the opticians because of that reason. “this special solution will tighten up your pores, and rip any stray spots off of your face!”

he brought it closer to joshua’s face, who just whimpered in fear. that was not something you would get from the drugstore, that was definitely not a face mask. “we call it…”

leisurely, jeonghan smeared the white substance across joshua’s cheeks, spreading it to his forehead and chin as the boy shut his eyes. jeonghan smirked as he leaned closer to joshua’s ear, his glossy lips brushing against the shell of his ear. “...glue!”

 _‘hold back the tears, joshua.’_ he told himself, _‘don’t wimp out, just hold on for a little longer…’_

“did we also say how it can also double as a hair mask?” before joshua could even take a breath, the familiar liquid splattered on his scalp, soaking his head and shoulders. he could barely see a thing without his spectacles, so he could only - by muscle memory - attempt to push his way through the crowds in order to reach the bathrooms. fortunately for him, no student really wanted to get their shirts stained with pva glue, so they all minded out the way for the rushing nerd, laughing at his misery. he felt like a circus animal, his dignity and body used for the enlightenment of others, to make themselves better, yet joshua still felt all the pain.

_‘why won’t it stop?’_

☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡

water dripped down the contours of his face as he leaned over the sink, attempting to scrub off the semi-dry glue clinging to his skin with his bare hands. choking out sobs, he watched his tears react with the tap water droplets, the salts from inside his body dissolving fully in the basin below. he hated the fact that he had to be picked on, it wasn’t his fault that he liked to try and get good grades in school. his passion for science and literature was more or less a curse to him now, a disease that was incurable, and the effects would dwell with him until the end of high school - sticking stronger than the glue he was trying to get rid of.

taking a peek of himself in the mirror in front of him, he sighed at the state he was in. the glue had matted the strands of hair together on top of his head, and it was drenched in water from when joshua was trying to get the remains out from around the follicles. with his face red and blotchy, his skin was seemingly worse than it was before, with breakouts jammed with glue and blood pouring from the ones that dried glue had ripped off. red rings bordered his eyes, and he sniffed again, wiping away the remainder of his sorrows.

he looked so pitiful, and he hated it.

hoping that his teacher wouldn’t mind him skipping registration, joshua lowered his frail body to the floor, hugging his knees and reaching out for his bag. he couldn’t go back to class now, not when he was in such a terrible state like this. deciding to read a book until classes started, joshua rested his back against the sink counter, letting out a quivering sigh into the thick silence of the bathrooms.

it was around five minutes later until someone else rushed in, and almost slipped over if he didn’t grasp onto the countertop as quickly as he did.

the boy huffed and puffed, trying to catch his breath in the surrounding oxygen, as he stared into the basin. coughing a couple of times, and triggered what seemed like tears to joshua, the boy’s knees buckled, his only strength sourcing from his arms which kept him upright. green and brown colours were smeared across his face and clothes, the action of it clearly not intentional. yet, only the front curls in his hair seemed to be affected. _‘lucky thing’_.

“are you okay?” joshua piped up from below, the mysterious boy not even noticing him there. he seemed as if he almost had a heart attack when he turned to face joshua, pupils expanding in distress and his bottom lip trembling. they exchanged looks for a second, staring into each other’s eyes as the boy attempted to assemble an answer.

“not really…” his words trailed off in a different direction, leaving him to stutter and lower his head, avoiding joshua’s curious pupils at all costs. mud had flattened down his eyebrows and camouflaged them, so joshua couldn’t tell the boy’s true emotions properly.

it would make him just as bad as the bully if he had just left the boy to struggle through his problems in the state that he was in, and joshua knew how helpless one can be after being caught at the wrong end of an attack. the boy needed some form of moral support just for a second, and for now - he was stuck with a fellow victim, joshua hong, who was still trying to sort his life out. albeit, he would seem like a jerk if he just up and left the boy (and joshua had to admit - even with the mud covering his features - the boy seemed quite cute, so why would he leave a cute boy?).

gingerly placing his book down on the floor, avoiding any wet patches from splashed water, joshua stood up and walked up to the boy, wetting his hands under the sink. he then proceeded to lift his hands up to the boy’s face, removing his glasses, and wiping off the dirt from his skin. he didn’t flinch under joshua’s touch as much as the latter thought he would - luckily - and he leaned into joshua’s palm when it lingered for a second too long, feeling that well-needed comfort that felt warmer than a hot chocolate in winter. they both swam in silence for a short while, as joshua cleared the brown-haired boy’s face, and the latter supported himself with the marble beside the pair.

“so, what happened to you…?” joshua asked, stretching out the last word in the hopes of a name being given in response.

“seungcheol.” the voice of the boy was warm and deep, like freshly melted chocolate, or a steaming hot coffee. it was thick as well, leaving a weird feeling pulsating in joshua’s chest. he recognised his face from somewhere, and now the name sparked a memory. seungcheol was from the other side of the school, the best in his set of classes, whilst joshua was the best in his. he had overheard the horror stories that had occurred to a kid named seungcheol, and he couldn’t help but relate to the unknown boy. they both were the laughing stock of their high school, and joshua was lucky that he wasn’t alone now in all of this. “i, well, i just tripped, you know, silly mistake.”

he definitely didn’t just trip, joshua could just tell - especially now he knows who the boy is.

“i can’t believe you if you don’t make eye contact with me,” joshua made sure his voice was quiet, in order to not startle seungcheol. “now, do you mind telling me the truth? i won’t say anything to anyone else.”

joshua began to stroke seungcheol’s shoulder with the pad of his thumb, slowing down the speed of his movements as he waited for a response from the other boy. he could tell that seungcheol was hesitating, afraid of what to say, but with a comforting smile from joshua, the boy managed to open up. “i got pushed...and kicked. it was wonwoo and mingyu, but then i knew it was coming. i don’t know why i was even at the football pitch and the bleachers, i deserved this for getting in their way.”

joshua could see the tears welling up at seungcheol’s tear ducts, and it struck a chord inside of the former. the bullies of their school - in fact, any school - loved to play the victim, and make the actual victim feel guilty, adding destruction to the pain already striking their bodies. joshua knew what that felt like, as jeonghan used this tactic many a time when he decided to push joshua about like he was a simple ragdoll. he too wished that he could stand up to the bully, and give himself the dignity of proving them wrong, but it wasn’t that easily if you’re wallowing in self-doubt and you’re the oxford dictionary definition of awkward. if only the headmaster could see what was going on in the male toilets, maybe then he might put his foot down.

“you deserve none of this, seungcheol, no one does.” joshua forced eye contact, their faces so close that the science nerd could feel the syncopated breaths of the tearful boy. “yes, i barely know you, but you had the right to walk where you wanted, and they’re just jealous of the fact that you’re smart and cute.”

seungcheol almost choked. joshua’s eyes widened to the size of the sun.

“wait, umm that’s, well,”

“it’s alright, honestly. i think i understand what you’re trying to say.” seungcheol pulls a little smile, warming joshua’s heart that shivered under the air conditioning in the bathroom. “and truthfully, i would say the same for you…”

“joshua.”

“yeah, josh…”

they stood there in silence for a short moment, which allowed joshua the time to take in seungcheol’s clean features, now clear of mud and other earthly substances. if he didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought that seungcheol was at supermodel status, with a chiseled facial structure and a pair of round eyes that joshua would happily measure the circumference of if it meant he could hopelessly stare into them. is this what the characters in his books felt when they encountered someone cute? did their heart - or some organ in their chest - beat in a abnormal way? did they feel hurt when they cried or even got a little bit emotional? what emotion was this?

_is it too early for it to be love?_

but it was only then when joshua realised what seungcheol had said about him, his cheeks now highlighted in pink.

“wait, cheol-”

just to joshua’s luck, the school bell rang, signalling that their lessons were soon to begin.

“thank you for everything, joshua. i hope we can meet again soon!” and with that, seungcheol grabbed his backpack and rushed out of the door, leaving joshua to unscramble his tangled thoughts. if joshua had heard seungcheol correctly, then did that mean he liked joshua?

is it platonic?  
is it just a misunderstanding?  
_is it too early for it to be love?_

☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡☆彡

joshua didn’t have a proper conversation with seungcheol for a good few weeks after their meeting.

there would be the occasional encounter in the bathrooms, clearing up whatever disaster struck them both that day; and the odd time where they crossed paths in the hallways, where their eyes would meet for a second before being separated by the current washing them away. all he would need to give him would be a wide smile, and it would leave joshua in a joyful mood for the next few hours. the way his smile would outstretch into a grin, and his gums would slip out from underneath his lips and make him seem so adorable, it made joshua explode silently with butterfly giggles. mixed with the eye smiles and the puffing of his blushing cheeks, joshua couldn’t stop feeling that emotion that he felt when they first met.

yet, he didn’t know if he was ready to let the emotion flow free at the moment.

he had seen seungcheol around the school before the bathroom incident, and the body structure of the male had joshua subtly biting his lip. although, the feelings were bottled up and a cork was screwed on top, joshua refusing to confess whatever he was feeling to the boy ultimately in fear of embarrassment. instead, he would watch from afar, admiring how endearing the boy was from around the corner of the hallways. joshua never seemed to get bored of the boy, for he was so interesting to look at: when he smiles, when he pouts, when he talks, when he laughs.

joshua would do anything to bottle up some of seungcheol’s laughs, and sort them away for a rainy day. his laughter could part the clouds and show the sunshine on even the worst of days.

he missed the interaction they had that day, and he wished that he could have another chance to feel like something other than a nerd. he wanted to feel like he was being listened to, and that someone was genuinely smiling at him and wanting to talk to him. he wanted more from that conversation as well, for it to lead somewhere unexpected but happy.

but it was a one off.  
it was a blip.  
and joshua just had to live with that in his head.

managing to get away from jeonghan and junhui after the school bell rang (he bolted out of the door as soon as his auditory nerves could pick up the sound waves), joshua had made his way to the field of the school, far from the football pitch but still relatively close to the building itself. it had been a short while since he had sat underneath the school oak tree, listening to the soft rustle of the leaves above as they patted the wooden trunk and watched over the boy. joshua reminisced in the memories of reading books under the scorching sunshine, allowing the rays to lightly glaze his skin as he became absorbed in the fictional worlds hidden within literature. it was a past time he hadn’t delved into for a while now, so why not pick it up again?

determinedly, he hiked up the hills up to the familiar tree, excited to finally get some time to himself. however, something was odd. someone was already sitting under the tree, absorbed in the book that joshua kept beside the abandoned evergreen. someone familiar, in fact.

it wasn’t until he had reached his destination, that joshua realised that the said person was choi seungcheol.

“oh, hi joshua.” he smiled reassuringly, pushing up his glasses onto the bridge of his nose. he seemed so innocent when he had his transparent glasses on, rather than his contact lenses. then, paired with his black outfit and matching beret, seungcheol looked like a boy straight out of a street scene in paris. “do you usually sit here?”

“yeah, i usually read that book as well.” lightheartedly laughing, joshua responded as he scratched his nape. his laugh showcased his braces, which he was fairly insecure about, and he hoped that seungcheol wouldn’t criticise him for having them like everyone else did. “but, if you’re already engrossed in it, then i’ll come back another time-“

“no, it’s alright. you can sit here and read with me if you want.” patting the grass beside him, seungcheol said. hesitating for a second, joshua eventually decided to sit with seungcheol, because how bad could it be?

settling himself down on the dried mud and grass combination, joshua moved closer to seungcheol, the sides of their bodies colliding and relaxing as the book was placed in between them. the contact felt warm - but not like the heat that beams of sunlight would radiate. it reminded joshua of fresh hot chocolate, or a crackling campfire, or a fluffy blanket, and it calmed down joshua’s racing heart beat.

the supposed younger tried to concentrate on reading the book - which happened to be _‘simon vs the homosapien agenda’_ \- but he continuously found himself gazing up at the latter, who was submerged into the deep end of the book, taking in every letter with his coffee eyes. stray curls in his hair would fall in front of his face, and he would pull the cutest pout to blow them away, like he was blowing away the flame of a birthday candle. his cheeks were coloured in red from the heat (or maybe something else? joshua wasn’t too sure), and his face would naturally react to certain events in the book. joshua couldn’t stop his whole body from melting into seungcheol, and he so desperately wanted to hold onto the boy and explode with affection. but, that would be weird, so he allowed his head to idle on seungcheol’s shoulder.

joshua noticed the latter’s cheeks being shaded in darker when they made closer contact, and he had an minuscule feeling that it could be something other than the sunshine causing this as a result.

he was unable to hide it now: joshua knew that he felt something extravagant for seungcheol. he adores the facial expressions that he would pull in different situations, and that smile could cure any disease that joshua catches. he was pretty sure he could go scuba diving in those round eyes behind the glasses, losing himself within the specs of gold. he admires his determination and passion for his classes, and finds the poking tongue that would escape his lips when concentrating extremely sweet. joshua could find himself going on for hours, picking out every detail in seungcheol that he saw over the course of time that they knew each other for, but he was still anxious about how fast he was falling. was he taking it too far? _was it too early to be love?_

“this reminds me of us, shua.” feebly interrupting the thought process of the science geek, seungcheol casted his view to joshua, who looked up from the former’s shoulder.

“how?”

“well, it’s about two guys who are similar in some way, and they bond over that fact.” he breathed in a scent of the fresh spring air before continuing, making direct eye contact as he spoke. “do you want to bond with me, shua?”

joshua’s breath hitched, what is seungcheol implying? “...yes, i do.”

it was now or never, this moment would never come to them again unless they did something about it. yet, seungcheol stayed frozen in his spot. wanting to take matters into his own hands, joshua took the leap and leaned closer to seungcheol plump lips, fluttering his eyelids shut in order to avoid seeing the latter’s face. he was afraid, what if seungcheol pulled away before they could even begin? he doesn’t even know if seungcheol is gay! what if seungcheol decides to out joshua to the world, and spread rumours like the other students in the school do? what if he messes up the kiss, seungcheol starts to think poorly of him because of it? what if seungcheol doesn’t feel the same way? so many what ifs spiralled in his mind, all speeding at a million miles a millisecond and he could barely keep up with himself. his heart felt as if it was about to spontaneously combust as his lungs were pumping oxygen around his body stressfully. everything in his body was going into overdrive in fear of something going wrong and he just hopes that seungcheol doesn’t pull away-!

 _but what is this?_  
joshua feels a pair of lips pushed onto his own, moving against his thin set.  
he’s pretty sure his heart has gone into meltdown.

he can smell the accustomed smell of cheap cologne coming from the latter’s neck, tranquilising joshua’s senses so that all he could feel was pure bliss. the chapstick that seungcheol kept in his coat pocket was evident on his lips, the sickening cherry taste seeming so delicious as joshua pushed his lips against seungcheol’s. the supposed older smiled into the kiss, and joshua could feel the slick metal of the brackets on his teeth, and the smooth wires connecting each and every one. iron was most likely pumping out from his lips due to the contact with such a sharp material, but the overpowering chapstick taste drowned it out completely. loosening his grip onto seungcheol’s arm, joshua moved his hand up above the former’s chest and onto his cheeks, cupping it in his palm and stroking the ruby blush with the pad of his thumb. nostalgia washed over the pair, leaving them giggle into the kiss.

pulling away was hard, however. it wasn’t because they resisted to leave the other’s lips after something so glorious occurring, but it was more or less because they were stuck.

“it’s our braces.” seungcheol attempted to say, placing the book down in order to hold onto joshua’s face. the downside to wanting perfect teeth was the fact that braces were annoying in various situations - like when they get stuck on other people’s wires.

“you go upwards.”

“move your head to the left a little.”

“almost there-!”

“one more tug and i think we should be-“

finally, their faces were detached from each other, and after a sigh of relief, the couple erupted into giggles. of course they would have some sort of trouble occurring on their first kiss, but joshua didn’t mind. he found seungcheol adorable, and the situation only made the kiss seem all the more memorable.

“i need to go now, shua. i think my parents are in the car park.” seungcheol announced, glancing down at his watch and placing the lenticular deer bookmark back into the novel. he glanced again at joshua, and surprisingly, they both had the same thought.

they leaned in to share another kiss, but instead, their noses collided lightly, both of them softly chuckling despite the tiny sparks of pain from the points of their noses. in the end, seungcheol settled for a cheeky peck on the forehead and a sweet whisper of “i love you”, leaving joshua in a flustered puddle on the floor as he jumped up and jogged back to the building.

“i can’t believe that just happened.” joshua mumbled to himself, a gigantic grin not wanting to leave his face. “seungcheol kissed me!”

that kiss gave joshua some sort of odd confidence, knowing that there was someone who cared for him enough to perform a romantic act with him. a voice in the back of his head - sounding suspiciously like jeonghan - was trying to tell him that it was a one off, and that he would never love someone like joshua hong. but that smile, and that giggle, and those heart eyes - the science nerd knew that it was something more than what the voice was trying to convince him with.

maybe it wasn’t too early to fall in love with choi seungcheol.

maybe joshua was just in time.

**Author's Note:**

> feedback is always appreciated!
> 
> ☆thank you for reading!☆


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